25% of our senior management team are women.

As a leading British luxury electrical accessories manufacturer, we are a privately-owned award-winning SME based in St Leonards on Sea in East Sussex, trading since 1979. We manufacture our products in-house using traditional methods complemented by the latest technology. With an established reputation we are committed to offering quality and customer satisfaction.

We employ 56 full-time equivalent staff, plus seven part time, some of whom have been with us for over 25 years.

At Focus SB our core values include treating all our stakeholders and communities with dignity and respect, supporting the mental health of our employees and trying to help make the world a better place. We actively nurture a harmonious company culture to support our staff and help them to succeed and regularly support charitable organisations or government initiatives whether linked to projects or to our communities.

A Disability Confident Employer since 2017, we are committed to creating equal opportunities and a diverse and inclusive workforce, seeing us work closely with local charity Little Gate Supported Employment for over four years welcoming people to our team on a permanent basis, trained and managed by Mrs Val Chandler, our Assembly Manager who has over 35 years of experience in electrical manufacturing. Val has done extensive work with Little Gate as well as planning work experience for schools and colleges and employing apprentices.

Members of the Sussex Chamber of Commerce we are one of the founding members of local not for profit group 1066 Manufacturers, providing a forum for engineering and manufacturing businesses and their key supply chain partners, raising the profile of important issues facing employers on our industrial estate such as recruitment and better public transport services to improve accessibility for potential job applicants.

We value our employees’ wellbeing and employee benefits include a Westfield Health Cash Plan, access to a Wellbeing portal, profit share and Bike to Work scheme - plus no one works on their birthday!

Qualities we seek in the right people include the ability to work as part of a team and the desire to deliver outstanding customer service. We actively nurture a harmonious company culture to support our staff and help them to succeed, regularly rewarding effort and achievement.

Our Chairman, Gary Stevens began his own career as a technical apprentice at just 16 and we’re proud to volunteer as Enterprise Advisers since 2018 engaging with local educators and students.

Our Head of HR and Customer Service, Jo Cloute is a Careers East Sussex Industry Champion, volunteering as an Enterprise Adviser at our local school. Mrs Cloute says: “At Focus SB we believe that with the right support, investment and training, anyone can achieve great things."

Mrs Cloute is a keen advocate of apprenticeship schemes and works closely with Bexhill and St Leonards Academies and local schools such as St Richards, contributing to mock interviews events and shining a light on the many varied opportunities a career in manufacturing has to offer.

Gary Stevens says: “I have been in manufacturing for over 40 years and started life as a technical apprentice. The future of any industry is the people and skills that underpin it and that is no more a true fact than in manufacturing and whilst there is still a requirement for the old traditional craftsman skills in manufacturing, there is a growing demand for people with IT skills, skills in robotics and AI, design and creative skills, sales and marketing skills, HR, accountancy and administrative skills.”

A member of SIGTA, our apprenticeship-training provider, we take part in roadshows and career fairs including the annual Hastings Training, Apprenticeship and Jobs Fair and My Future Starts Here. Membership of an Engineering Forum working with Hastings College (Ore campus) gives us a voice to make the college more aware of what employers want.

We participate in Culture Shift’s bespoke Creative Café careers events enabling us to engage with students aged between 12 and 18, and in East Sussex County Council’s pilot research Steps to Success programme for 14-16 year olds which is a research pilot programme that supports the effective transition of selected year 10 pupils with chronically poor attendance into post 16 education, employment and training.

We also support several charities via donations or corporate membership along with campaigns that reflect our values including the Design for Diversity campaign set up by and for interior designers, sponsorship of Worthing FC Inclusive football team who play in the Sussex disability league, and beehive adoption at SW Honey Farms to help combat climate change ‘Improving the world, One bee at a time’. We’ve supported Caudwell Children dedicated to improving the lives of disabled and autistic children where all donations go directly to the children and their families.

If you are seeking a new career opportunity please contact Mrs Jo Cloute telling us a bit about yourself along with a CV (if available).

We are an equal opportunities employer and prospective candidates can view our Disability Confident Employer certificate, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy, Neurodiversity Policy and Menopause Policy. We are proud to be a Little Gate Supported Employment employer. Please contact Jo if you have any queries specific to your application.

We welcome applicants via our successful apprenticeship and graduate training programmes.